Sinuous microstructure mixing unit and use thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sinuous microstructure mixing unit, and also relates to a microfluidic device having the unit, and the use of the unit or the device for preparing nanoparticles, such as lipid nanoparticles or self-assembled particles.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sinuous multi-layer (SML) microstructure mixing unit, comprising an inlet part, a confluence part, a multi-layer mixing part, and an outlet part in fluid communication, wherein
 each layer in the multi-layer mixing part is a sinuous flow path, and the sinuous flow path of each layer comprises n number of semi-circular rings or semi-elliptical rings, and any two adjacent semi-circular rings or semi-elliptical rings have opposite bending directions and are connected to each other via a straight flow path;   projection shapes of two adjacent layers in the multi-layer mixing part always at least partially but not completely coincide throughout the flow path of the mixing part; and   the inlet part comprises at least two inlets, and the inlets are in fluid communication with the confluence part, so that different fluids flowing in from the inlets converge at the confluence part.   
     
     
         2 . The SML microstructure mixing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the mixing part comprises 2, 3, 4, or 5 layers of the sinuous flow paths. 
     
     
         3 . The SML microstructure mixing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein each layer of sinuous flow path has a fixed width, and the widths of these layers of sinuous flow paths can be the same or different from each other; preferably, at least two layers of sinuous flow paths have different widths. 
     
     
         4 . The SML microstructure mixing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein these layers of flow paths are always parallel in the semi-circular ring or semi-elliptical ring part of the mixing part. 
     
     
         5 . The SML microstructure mixing unit according to  claim 4 , wherein outer edges of these layers of flow paths always coincide in the semi-circular ring or semi-elliptical ring part of the mixing part. 
     
     
         6 . The SML microstructure mixing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein (a) the mixing part comprises two layers of sinuous flow paths, and cross sections of the sinuous flow paths are L-shaped in the semi-circular ring or semi-elliptical ring part; or (b) the mixing part comprises three layers of sinuous flow paths, and cross sections of the sinuous flow paths are in a T shape rotated by 90° in the semi-circular ring or semi-elliptical ring part. 
     
     
         7 . The microstructure mixing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein an outer diameter Do of each semi-circular ring or an outer axial length Do of each elliptical ring in the extension direction of the sinuous form in each layer of sinuous flow path is 3 to 5 times the width of the flow channel; and/or an inner diameter Di of each semi-circular ring or an inner axial length Di of each elliptical ring in the extension direction of the sinuous form is 1 to 3 times the width of the flow channel. 
     
     
         8 . The microstructure mixing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein each pair of semi-circular rings or semi-elliptical rings with opposite bending directions are preferably connected by a length of straight flow path, and the length Lc of the straight flow path is 0.5 W to 4 W, preferably 1 W to 3 W, more preferably 1 W to 2 W. 
     
     
         9 . The microstructure mixing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 6, preferably any integer from 7 to 15. 
     
     
         10 . The microstructure mixing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the microstructure mixing unit comprises two or three layers of the sinuous flow paths, each layer of sinuous flow path comprises 6 to 10 semi-circular rings, and the length Lc of the straight flow path between semi-circular ring flow paths is greater than or equal to the inner diameter Di of a projection shape of the semi-circular ring flow path. 
     
     
         11 . The microstructure mixing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein at least two layers of the sinuous flow paths have different widths, and the width of a narrower layer is between 25% and 75%, preferably about 50% of the width of a wider layer. 
     
     
         12 . A microstructure mixing device comprising m number of the microstructure mixing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the m number of microstructure mixing units are in fluid communication via an inlet part, a confluence part and/or an outlet part, wherein m is an integer greater than 1. 
     
     
         13 . The microstructure mixing device according to  claim 12 , wherein m is an even number, and preferably, m is 2 to the power of an integer. 
     
     
         14 . A method for preparing nanoparticles by self-assembly, comprising mixing a first fluid with a second fluid by means of the microstructure mixing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the first fluid is allowed to flow into a first inlet, and the second fluid is allowed to flow into a second inlet; and the first fluid is a fluid containing a nanoparticle vehicle material, and the second fluid is a fluid containing a nanoparticle load.